What do you do if your professional network is lacking and your personal brand needs a boost on social media?

Assess your current network and personal brand honestly. Check your connections, their quality, and your online perception. Update your profile and share industry insights to improve your network. Focus on cultivating meaningful relationships for better opportunities.

After you have evaluated your current position, it is important to determine what you perceive as success. Do you aspire to be recognized as an expert in your field, or are you searching for job opportunities? Maybe you aim to expand your business. Your objectives will influence your approach to social media. By setting SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, you can establish a clear plan for your networking efforts and personal branding initiatives. Ensure these goals remain at the forefront of your mind as you interact with others on social media platforms.

To increase your social media engagement, join industry-specific groups, share valuable content, and participate in discussions. Comment on posts by influencers and peers to get noticed. Consistent engagement boosts your visibility and demonstrates your expertise.

spend time researching contacts I've made - and the finding who they're connected to. Look at alma maters, mutual connections, their website, contact info on people I've met at conferences,....or discovered doing research. I used these techniques as a career consultant and now use them for nonprofit organizations (tax-exempt businesses).

Sharing what you're passionate about will attract your peers and potential audience. Feel free to bring your personality as you build a personal brand!

Once you've got a strong LinkedIn network, continue to build your connections, don't loose momentum! If you've got thousands of connections, you can't message them all, but you can speak to them all through posts and content to show your specialism, expertise and share information. As you continue building your voice you'll start to learn the type of content your audience engages with best. You'll also be building your personal brand and reputation with this audience, so when you do come to message, your chances of getting a response increases massively. You've gone from sending a cold introduction, to sending a message to someone who already 'knows you'. Studies show people consume 13 pieces of content before 'buying'... CONTENT IS KING!

In the ever-evolving world of social media, the importance of quality content cannot be overstated. Whether you are building your personal brand or promoting your business, creating or curating engaging content can significantly boost your online presence. By crafting informative and insightful articles or blog posts that showcase your knowledge and perspectives, you can establish yourself as a credible authority in your field. Sharing relevant infographics, videos, or podcasts can also help you connect with your target audience and build a loyal following. With quality content, you can expand your reach, attract new followers, and foster meaningful interactions that can lead to valuable networking opportunities.

Social media networking is about building genuine relationships. Personalize connection requests, send a thank you message when someone accepts, and offer help or advice when appropriate. By fostering connections, you create a supportive network that can provide value in numerous ways.

Build genuine connections with peole (and join groups) on LinkedIn that have a "connection" to who you are - - - and what you do. Actively participate in discussions. Post questions and respond, individually, to each person who answers.

The 3 Cs (Content, Connection, and Consistency) play a major role in building your personal brand on social media. Consistency is one of the fundamental pillars. It helps you connect with people frequently on social media platforms. By planning your content schedule within your niche, regularly updating your profile, staying informed about new trends like conferences and virtual networking, and engaging properly with your content and others, you can maintain consistency. Consistency helps you build rapport, trust, and recognition—that is crucial personal brand. Keep consistency in mind while building your personal brand.

A great way to build a professional network is to request access to your peers' network. Bear in mind that you also need to extend the same courtesy when it's time. You can also join business communities where likeminded people meet, discuss goals, exchange relevant contacts, and support each other on the principle of 'What goes around, comes around'. One such community is BNI, which has members all over the world. For your personal brand's social media boost, check if your brand's positioning is aligned with your targeted audience, personal branding goals, your business goals. Also see if your strategy is bulletproof, with realistic timelines. These are a few areas that may have cracks. The deeper you go in these, have a sharper approach.

For an intern candidate to connect with influential professionals one must stay real, and be hungry – a hunger to learn & contribute. The intern must be ready to absorb, learn through hearing, watching. Be respectful, do not have a combative approach, focus on building relationships. Contribute, focus on adding value, mutual benefit and build relationships. Be active on platforms like LinkedIn with industry leaders & professionals, read & contribute, share views on their content. Connect, and exchange through personalized messages.